Them Goddesses
by Azarath's Raven
Summary: Raven is taken under the wings of the Greek goddesses Athena, Aphrodite and Artemis after she is unceremoniously voted off the team. What will this bode for her, for them and for the love that she has left behind? BBrae and Robstar
1. Them Goddesses, My New Mothers

Disclaimer: The author does not own the Teen Titans. All credits go to the respective creators of the Teen Titans, the most amazing set of characters in the world.

* * *

**Them Goddesses**

"I'm sorry Raven." He whispered as he watched her lay a pendant on the floor.

"Don't be. Things are simply the way they must be." She replied. Assuming the lotus position, she levitated into the air. Beast Boy watched curiously as she mumbled a spell. Suddenly, everything in her room was sucked into the pendant and all that remained were bare walls and empty furniture. "Well, I guess this is goodbye." Raven sighed as she got to her feet.

"No! No! This cannot be happening!" Cried Beast Boy. "Let me talk to Robin!"

"It's pointless." Raven replied. "He has made up his mind. They have made up their minds."

"I have made up my mind too!" He cried out.

"There is one of you to three of them." Raven pointed out. "In this world, majority wins."

"But..."

"In this world, majority wins. Goodbye Beast Boy. I'll... Never forget you."

"Raven!" He screamed as she opened a portal and stepped through it. He leapt after her but it was too late. He simply flew through thin air and landed on the ground with a loud thud. Seething with anger, he jumped to his feet and blazed out the door.

* * *

"You!" Beast Boy screamed at Cyborg as he advanced towards his former friend. "You chased Raven away!"

"I didn't chase Raven away." Cyborg said coolly. "She got voted off the team. Period."

"How could you do this!" Beast Boy hollered. "You're the one who brought Blaise here! You're the one who blackmailed Robin into casting the final vote against Raven! You're the one who made her leave!"

"I can't help it if Raven has problems with my girlfriend." Cyborg said nonchalantly. "She was the one who exploded during the group meeting asking us to choose between her and Blaise because they can't coexist together. She started this whole voting thing by saying 'it's either her or me'. So if you want to blame anyone, blame Raven."

"You blackmailed Robin knowing that he can't afford to lose you! So he voted for Blaise and Starfire followed him! You didn't let them make their own decision, you cheated!" Beast Boy yelled accusingly.

"So what if I did?" Cyborg jumped up and squared off with Beast Boy. "Blaise is here to stay and Raven has left and there's nothing ya can do about it! So get over it!"

"Raven told us that the Witches of Blaze tried to combine their powers to kill her six times!" Beast Boy shouted. "Blaise and her people tried to kill Raven again and again! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"No!" Cyborg yelled. "You know why? Cuz Raven is powerful! She'll be okay no matter who tries to kill her!"

"Cyborg!" A slender girl with long, wavy brown hair walked into the room and took Cyborg's large metallic hand in her small ones. She wore a yellow cowl that glowed as though it was on fire and a red full body jumpsuit beneath it. Beast Boy glared at her resentfully as she whispered into Cyborg's ear.

"We'll be going to the forest for a hike." Cyborg announced. "Beast Boy, the Puppet King's Raven replica is in the red box in the evidence room. You can go marry that puppet if you want." Still laughing, Cyborg took Blaise by the hand and the pair strode out of the main room, leaving Beast Boy more angry than he had ever been in his life.

* * *

Beast Boy slammed his bedroom door shut and leapt onto his bed, furiously hyperventilating. He could hardly believe that in the span of three months, Cyborg could fall so madly in love with a girl that he had no qualms about asking if she could join the team even though they knew close to nothing about her. He could not comprehend how Cyborg could be so blinded by love that he still saw Blaise as a perfect representative of goodness even though Raven revealed that Blaise's people had made attempts on her life. What made him even more incredulous was how Cyborg threatened to leave the team if Blaise wasn't added to it. Having stuck through thick and thin with the team, it sounded so absurd to threaten to leave over a girl he had known for only three months.

_"He's known the girl for such a short time and he's willing to choose her over Raven, who has been with us for years!" _He fumed. _"I used to think Raven was creepy but this Blaise is worse! And yet Cyborg falls for her so blindly like she's a sweet, innocent Starfire! Can't he see that she does magic too? Has it ever crossed his mind that she could have cast a spell on him? Nooooo! He's too busy waiting on her hand and foot!" _Beast Boy grumped as he stomped around his room.

"Well that terrifying demon is gone now." His ultra sensitive ears perked up as he heard Blaise's voice passing by his room. "That's a relief." Morphing into a fly, he slipped under the door and tried to fly after her. "Hang on, I'll call you back. Gosh, there are so many annoying flies in this place! And they make the most annoying noises!" Blaise took her mobile phone away from her ear and began trying to smack Beast Boy against the wall. In panic, he zoomed away from her and retreated back to his room via the gap below his door. "Ugh. Pesky creatures. Now where was I? Oh yeah..." Blaise's voice slowly faded down the hallway.

His heart pounding, Beast Boy dashed to his nightstand and took out a small notebook. Squinting at the unshapely numbers, he finally found Jinx's telephone number below Kid Flash's. With renewed determination, he decided to visit her to find out more about Blaise and her magic.

* * *

Raven touched down on the roof one of the many skyscrapers that dominated the city. As she gazed down upon the city, she fingered the pendant that she now wore around her neck. After all, it contained everything that she had in this world. The former titan's eyes fixated on the hustle and bustle below her, she let out a loud sigh. So dazed and afraid was she that she was unable to sense the presence of three beings hovering a distance above her. Though they had purposefully made themselves invisible to all but her, yet they went unnoticed.

"I never thought that we'd hit the bull's eye that easily." Said Artemis, the one with a golden crescent moon on her fair forehead.

"Yeah, she was pretty easy to find." Agreed Aphrodite as she placidly stroked a white dove that perched on her shoulder.

"The bull has been blinded and wounded." Sighed Athena. Seeing the look that her companions gave her, she hastened to explain. "She is blind to the world and her soul is wounded."

"Mhmmm... She may be wounded and blind but she sure is a pretty little thing."

"Aphrodite..." sighed Athena as Artemis rolled her eyes.

"Okay, so we are aiming to adopt this girl of all the girls in the world because she's the only one that Zeus likes." Stated Artemis. "She doesn't strike me as an angel though."

"She needs a family just like we need someone to nurture." Athena said softly. "Besides, she has the powers that we need for keeping Hades at bay."

"If only she'll grow out her hair. She'll look a lot better with long, wavy hair! She looks like a shaved polar bear for crying out loud!"

"Aphrodite!" Groaned Athena and Artemis in unison.

"I'm serious! Shaved polar bear!"

"Let's make our move." Athena ordered. Neither sister could stand Aphrodite's constant obsession with beauty and appearance at times. "Raven of Azarath?" Athena spoke first as the sisters neared the forlorn figure. Hearing her voice, Raven leapt up and twirled around. She wanted to attack, yet she hesitated because it had been years since anyone had acknowledged her birthplace like that.

"Who are you?" Her voice was cold but her eyes revealed a slight twinge of curiosity.

"My name is Athena and these are my sisters Artemis and Aphrodite." Spoke the apparent leader of the group.

"The Greek goddesses?" Raven blinked. "You're supposed to be a myth."

"Well, not all of the gods are myths." Athena replied. "Zeus, Hades, the three of us and a couple of others are real." Raven surveyed the three goddesses from head to toe. Athena was the tallest of the three standing at eight feet tall. She had a rather imposing appearance yet her eyes were kind and wise. She definitely fit the bill of the goddess of wisdom and prudent warfare. Artemis was next, standing about a foot shorter than her sister. Despite the fact that she carried a golden bow and a silver quiver full of arrows, she looked more womanly than her sister and her eyes exuded compassion and motherly warmth. Last was Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. She was the shortest and the most beautiful of the three and she carried nothing with her. Like her sisters, she wore white robes that looked like they were made out of fine silk. She wore a lovely golden necklace around her neck and a smattering of tasteful jewellery adorned her. She totally lived up to her name.

"What do you want?" asked Raven after she had come to terms with the fact that they were real.

"Raven, my sisters and I have long wished for a mortal child to nurture and care for." Artemis spoke. "Until now, our father Zeus has not allowed us to do so because he deemed every child we suggested to be unsuitable. That was until that big battle you had with Trigon and we saw your courage and vulnerability at the same time. Zeus saw you too and he was impressed, so he allowed us to reveal ourselves to you. We would love to have you come live with us Raven. We would love to teach you everything we know. Aphrodite, stop smirking!" Artemis suddenly reached out and smacked her sister on her head.

"Aww!" Complained the gorgeous goddess petulantly.

_"So these goddesses want to be my mothers." _Raven thought as she stared at them blankly. _"I don't need that. I can take care of myself." _Although Raven was not particularly attracted to the idea of being called a child, something about their offer intrigued her. She never had a real relationship with her mother Arella and the lack of motherly bonding had left a hole in her heart. Azar had filled that hole to some extent, but now Azar was gone too. _"I have nothing to lose." _She decided at long last. _"I have nowhere to go anyway."_

"Okay." She said softly. "I'll go with you."

"Yes!" Aphrodite was the first to react. "Palace rule number one! No cutting your hair so short ever again!"

"What?" Raven's eyes widened.

"Aphrodite is like that." Athena said with a smile. "She hates short hair but she doesn't see how practical it is."

"But you have long hair." Raven pointed out.

"She couldn't stand the nagging!" Artemis laughed as the three goddesses prepared to lead Raven to her new home in the palace of the gods.

* * *

"Thanks for agreeing to help me." Beast Boy said as he took a seat on the sofa in the living room. He had travelled all the way to the mountain home where Jinx and Kid Flash said. From all the way up here, they had a perfect view of the city that they now protected.

"Hey, don't sweat it! Pizza?" Kid Flash raised an eyebrow.

"Umm... I'll have a vegetarian one please." Beast Boy said without a moment of hesitation.

"Suit yourself." Kid Flash opened the door and he was gone.

"So what is it you wanted to ask me about this magical friend of yours?" Asked Jinx.

"Umm... Yeah so there's this new girl called Blaise and she's from a sect called the Witches of Blaze." Jinx immediately choked on her drink. Startled, Beast Boy stopped short only to be urgently prodded to continue. "She's Cyborg's new girlfriend-"

"Girlfriend?" Jinx interjected. "Cyborg's girlfriend is a Witch of Blaze? What did Raven do to her? Did she smash her into hell?" asked Jinx eagerly.

"No, she didn't." Beast Boy responded. "But she did say that the Witches of Blaze tried to combine their powers to kill her six times. Why would they do that?"

"Cuz Raven is the queen of all demons that's why. If they kill her, they'll get to rule the entire demonic world."

"Raven is the queen of the demons?" Beast Boy asked in amazement.

"Yeah! I thought it was common knowledge." Jinx rolled her eyes. "Trigon was the king but now that Raven has defeated him, she's the queen."

"I didn't think about that." said Said Beast Boy with a sheepish grin. "So Raven will try to kill Blaise because if she doesn't, Blaise will try to kill her?"

"Blaise isn't powerful enough to kill Raven. She doesn't even have the power to put a scratch on her. Raven will try to eliminate Blaise because the Witches of Blaze are impostors." Jinx replied as Kid Flash zoomed into the house. As she and Beast Boy helped to set the food on the table, Jinx continued talking. "Blaise wears a cowl doesn't she? Notice how it looks like it's on fire? Their magic spells are fiery and closely resemble the powers that most of Trigon's children possess. Raven's powers manifest differently because Trigon meant for her to be special but the rest of his offspring wield powers like these, so yeah. This allows them to pretend that they are Trigon's offspring so that they can deceive demons into bowing down to them. That's why whenever any of Trigon's real offspring see any Witches of Blaze, they always kill them. They do it to maintain control over the demonic world."

"Raven didn't do anything to Blaise." Beast Boy said softly.

"She was being nice." Jinx replied with a sigh. "For Cyborg's sake. But it won't last forever."

"I heard Blaise talking to someone on her phone in the hallway and she told that person that she felt relieved that the 'terrifying demon' is gone."

"Of course she is!" Jinx exclaimed in a chuckle. "Every minute she's with Raven she's in danger of losing her life!"

"What exactly do you need help with anyway?" Asked Kid Flash as he drank an entire can of soda in one gulp.

"Raven got kicked off the team." Beast Boy finally got to the point.

"What?" Kid Flash dropped his burger.

"Do you have any idea where she is right now?" Jinx demanded.

"I don't know!" Beast Boy cried out exasperatedly. "She just opened a portal and left!"

"How did this happen?" Jinx questioned.

"Cyborg fell in love with Blaise and kept bringing her to the tower but it made Raven very angry and agitated so Robin asked Cyborg not to bring Blaise back to the tower and he did, but only after three months he asked if she could join the team and Raven reacted very horribly and said no and asked us to choose between her and Blaise and so we had to vote which one we wanted on the team but, Cyborg blackmailed Robin into voting for Blaise so Starfire did too and they outvoted me and now Raven is gone and tomorrow the titans will unveil their latest member to the public!" Beast Boy spoke in several massive gulps of air, his voice thick with pent up anger. Kid Flash and Jinx both stared at him incredulously as they tried to make sense of his words.

"Wait a minute, so the titans actually voted Raven off the team? I never saw that coming." Kid Flash shook his head disapprovingly.

"You don't see a lot of things coming." Jinx remarked as she rolled her eyes. "So what do you want us to help us with?"

"Tomorrow the titans are holding an official press conference to introduce Blaise to the city. In order to explain Raven's disappearance, Robin has decided to say that Raven chose to leave the team instead of telling everyone that she actually got kicked off." Beast Boy leaned in closer to them. "If he told everyone that she got voted off, it doesn't reflect well on the team. The paps are going to be quite persistent, so he's going to tell them that Raven had decided that she didn't want to be a superhero anymore and left. On top of that, he wants to say that she has decided that she wants to 'pursue other interests' and hopes the city will accept her replacement! And he wants the rest of us to play along! I know this takes all the blame off the team but it makes Raven look bad, especially because she took that oath to protect the city along with the rest of us! And Blaise is totally gonna badmouth Raven all the way!"

"Ah, so you wanna protect her reputation." Kid Flash nodded in approval.

"It's the only thing she has left." Beast Boy said softly.

"That's sweet." Jinx remarked with a smirk.

"Jinx..." Kid Flash shook his head as Beast Boy turned beet red.

"Well, protecting Raven's reputation is a worthy cause, so yeah we'll help you with that." Jinx decided.

"Yup." Kid Flash agreed.

"I think I can even get Blaise kicked off the team." Jinx added with a wicked smile.

"You can?" Beast Boy's ears perked up.

"Oh yeah." Jinx grinned as Kid Flash flashed Beast Boy a knowing smile.


	2. A Threat Arises

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Demanded Kid Flash as Jinx crossed her arms, waiting for him to finish ranting. "What if the titans find out? Why are you so sure that Blaise wouldn't use her magic to reverse the effects of yours? Do you even know if this spell works? I mean, have you ever tried it before?"

"Quit bugging out. I know what I'm doing." Jinx declared.

"But if the spell doesn't work Raven's reputation will be completely destroyed. Are you sure we don't need a backup plan?" Kid Flash was starting to feel the pressure. The press conference was less than two hours away.

"No, we don't." Jinx replied confidently. "What we should be more worried about is finding Raven."

"The girl can travel through dimensions! There's no way we can find her if she really wanted to hide!" Kid Flash exclaimed.

"Actually, we can locate her if we really wanted to." Jinx said without taking her eyes off her magic book. "Raven is Trigon's daughter, so she's really powerful. This means that her soul is more powerful than everyone else's and it makes her easy to pick out. I can only narrow down her location to a particular dimension, but with your super speed we shouldn't have to worry about searching one dimension. There, my plan is all set. Go change now."

"Okay." Kid Flash returned in less than a second. "Done."

"Sweet! You don't look like you at all!" Jinx said happily. "I've already told Beast Boy about my plan, so everything should work out. In the meantime, I'm going to search for Raven. Good luck!" She called as he blitzed out the door. "Now let's see..."

* * *

Raven sat down on her new bed and stared in wonder at her new room. It was so bright, so heavenly and so unlike her old room back at the tower. Delicate lace curtains sieved out rays of sunlight that made the golden furniture gleam in splendour. The shining white marble floors felt cool to the touch and everything was tastefully adorned with either gold or silver. The palace of the gods was truly a beautiful place.

"How are you adjusting to this place?" Raven looked up to see Athena standing in the doorway. She looked very different without her helmet and spear.

"I guess I'm adjusting." Raven sighed. "It's really bright here."

"If you don't like it you can change it." Athena laughed softly. "I'm not promising that you can redecorate the whole palace though." She continued with a smile. "But this is your room so you can do with it as you please."

"Thanks." Raven visibly brightened up.

"I'm very proud of you Raven." Athena said gently.

"For what?" Raven finally asked.

"For taking the necessary steps to keep yourself alive." Athena replied simply. Raven looked at her and nodded as a fleeting feeling of mutual understanding passed between the two.

"If Blaise discovered my weaknesses while living with me..." Raven's voice trailed off into a whisper. "I just don't know what to make of this whole 'demon queen' thing. I honestly don't know what I'm supposed to do but I do know that if something happens to me, chaos would break out as different groups of demons will start battling each other to rule the demonic world and a lot of innocent lives will be lost if they take their battle to the mortal world."

"Raven, as the demon queen, you're a symbol of power. All demons fear you and there is peace in the demonic world because a superior power controls them all. Your father seized control over all the demons and whether you like it or not, you're his daughter and the heiress to everything that he has accomplished. So regardless of whether you defeated Trigon or not, you still will have a degree of control and power. No doubt there are already demons squabbling for power now that Trigon is gone, but overall, peace still reigns because the demons fear that if they seize power too outrightly, you might destroy them." Athena stood up and walked over to the window. Raven watched with intense interest as she held her hand up to the window, casting a shadow on the bed. "What do you see?" Asked Athena.

"A shadow." Raven replied.

"Which one is more powerful, the hand or the shadow of the hand?" Athena gently probed.

"The-" Raven stopped short. "The hand I guess?"

"Why is the hand more powerful than the shadow?"

"Because it's real." Raven responded.

"That's right." Athena rejoined Raven on the side of the bed. "Raven, you are like a hand that casts a shadow on the bed. Your shadow reflects everything that your hand does but ultimately, the true power lies within your hand. You've never officially taken up the role as the demon queen and you've never officially tried to do anything with your power as queen. All you've been doing is to use your shadow to control the demons, but that is not where the true power lies. The demons will obey you for a period of time but it won't be long before groups like the Witches of Blaze will recognize that your shadow has no power. It won't be long before they realize that they are obeying something that can do nothing to control them. Until you accept your position and fully seize control of the demonic world with your hand, you will continue to lose your influence by controlling them with shadows. I know you tried to keep yourself alive because your existence maintained peace within the demons, but there will come a time when you will be completely disregarded and you will be reduced to a mere shadow."

"How am I supposed to fully seize control?" Raven asked.

"In order for your hand to seize full control, it has to be powerful. A baby's hand cannot hold on to something as tightly as an adult's hand can as it does not have the strength. You must first work on improving yourself. You are powerful Raven. Very powerful. But your over reliance on your incantation to act as a focus for your powers has made you weak."

"I was afraid Blaise would find out about that." Raven hung her head. "Wait, how did you know that?" She demanded.

"I've watched you in action." Replied Athena. "Look Raven, no one is without weaknesses. Even we goddesses have our own weaknesses. The key to true power is to turn your weaknesses into strengths and to hone a wide variety of skills. That's what we are here for. I intend to impart my wisdom and my knowledge of the ways of prudent warfare to you, Artemis will show you how to tap into the mighty powers of nature while Aphrodite..." Athena's voice trailed off.

"What will Aphrodite teach me?" Raven asked with a smirk.

"She'll show you how to get whatever you want whenever you want it from whomever you want it from." Athena replied. "Don't worry, she's an expert."

"I can tell." Raven grinned.

"Raven!" Artemis poked her head into the doorway. "I've got something I want to show you!"

"Go on." Athena said with a smile.

"Bye Athena! Wait up! Wow she's fast!" Raven levitated up and zoomed after the goddess who looked as though she was trying to run a race with light.

* * *

"Titans, look what the guy from the cupcake shop brought us!" Called Robin as he walked into the main room carrying a large box of cupcakes.

"Cupcakes?" Cyborg rubbed his hands together. "From who?"

"Apparently it's from our 'grateful beneficiary'." Robin pulled the card off the top of the box and tossed it to Cyborg.

"I will never forget the day that you titans saved my life." Cyborg read. "Robin, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Starfire and Raven, you five are my heroes. Please enjoy these cupcakes. Many thanks from your grateful beneficiary." An awkward silence erupted as Cyborg closed the card. Sensing the titans were wondering if it was right to give Raven's cupcake to Blaise, Cyborg came up with a solution. "Here babe, you can have mine. I'll eat Raven's!" He said happily.

"Ummm... It's okay. I'm not really hungry." Blaise said hesitantly.

"Eat it!" Cyborg insisted. "Or else I'll shove it in your face!" Cyborg playfully waved the cupcake around Blaise's face.

"Okay, okay!" Blaise conceded and took a bite out of the cupcake. "There!" She said after several hasty chews. "Are you happy?

"So happy! This cupcake is amazing." Cyborg smacked his lips together.

"Beast Boy, do you wish to have a cupcake?" Asked Starfire sweetly.

"No thanks." Beast Boy said dejectedly. "I-I need to be alone."

"He's turning into Raven." Cyborg commented after Beast Boy had left the room. "It's almost as though Raven has been reborn as Beast Boy."

"Leave him alone." Robin said sympathetically. "He hasn't taken her leaving too well."

"Hic!" The titans simultaneously turned to stare at Starfire.

"Ummm... Star have ya forgotten to hydrate yourself or something?" Asked Cyborg quizzically.

"Hic! I - hic! - do not - hic! - know! Hic!" Starfire dashed over to the sink and grabbed a glass of water.

"Hic! What - hic! - is happening - hic! - to me?" Cried Blaise she started hiccuping as well.

"What the - hic!" Cyborg froze as he too fell victim to the hiccups.

"This - hic! - is a - hic! - disaster!" Gasped Blaise.

"Hic! The - hic! - press - hic! - conference!" Robin desperately downed several glasses of water.

"We - hic! - can't go - hic! - like that!" Cyborg exclaimed. "But my - hic! - sensors say - hic! - that nothing - hic! - is wrong - hic! - with me!"

"Hic! Blaise! - hic! - is this magic?" Robin demanded between hiccups.

"Dunno, never - hic! - heard of - hic! - a spell - hic! - like that!" Blaise responded.

"If we - hic! - cannot find out - hic! - what is wrong - hic! - before the conference - hic! - Beast Boy is our - hic! - only hope!" By speaking quickly in between hiccups, Robin was able to speak more normally than the others.

"Hic! It's the cupcakes!" Cyborg fumed.

"Hic! Hic! Darned cupcakes!" Wailed Blaise as Starfire started sobbing in fear and confusion.

"Hic! I'll get Beast - hic! - Boy!" Robin stated through his pain.

As Robin staggered out of the main room to inform Beast Boy of his task of representing the whole team at the press conference, a teenage sorceress named Jinx was desperately hoping for the first time in her life that something had gone awfully wrong with her magic.

* * *

"I'm not going to repeat myself!" Roared Hades as he waved his scepter in Zeus' face. "Tell your two incorrigible daughters Athena and Artemis to stop helping humans cheat death or else I will be forced to deal with them myself!" The god of the underworld was unhappy and he was making it plain to all who would hear him.

"Those two have not done anything wrong." Zeus replied. "Leave them alone."

"Not done anything wrong? Not done anything wrong?" Hades shouted. "Athena has inspired the creation of all those miraculous cures for deadly diseases helping billions to cheat death over and over again! She also snuck into the meeting rooms of world leaders to influence them not to go to war! Do you have any idea how many souls I could've claimed if another world war happened? Do you have any idea how many people Athena has helped to cheat death? And don't get me started on Artemis! She keeps protecting young girls! And babies! I could've claimed so many young souls for my kingdom if that meddlesome pest hadn't helped so many mothers with childbirth! Especially in countries who have not been poisoned by Athena's knowledge of medicine! Your two little girls are messing up the natural order of things! Humans are now living longer than ever before and it's all their fault! I know that there are other gods who also help humans but Athena and Artemis are the worst!" Hades screamed. "The very worst of the worst! They are the biggest thorns in my side and if you don't get them to stop, I will take things into my own hands!" Hades brought his scepter down firmly on the ground.

"How do you know all that? You rarely venture up to earth from the underworld." Zeus stated. As the god of the sky, he too rarely ventured down to earth since he had few reasons to and he knew that his brother was no different.

"I have my sources." Hades growled. "The souls tell me everything."

"If you want to get yourself into trouble with Athena and Artemis, go ahead." Zeus prepared to take his leave. He had heard enough ranting for one day. "Just don't come begging for mercy when those two fight back."

"I am Hades!" Hades thundered. "I do not beg for mercy, I make others plead for it!"

"Do your sisters a favor." Zeus said to Hermes once the two were out of the furious Hades' hearing range. "I give you the permission to go up to secret palace to warn either Athena or Artemis about Hades."

"Yes, yes! Most certainly." The messenger god acceded to this unusual request a little too readily.

"Hermes!" Zeus called after the retreating figure.

"Yes?"

"I order you not to do anything to or with Aphrodite!"

"I won't." Hermes agreed with a mutinous expression on his face. This time, he moved a little slower as he made his way to the secret palace of the three goddesses.

* * *

Raven gazed in awe at her surroundings as Artemis led her deeper and deeper into the forest. Towering conifers that made the seven foot tall goddess look puny stretched to the skies as sunshine poured down through gaps in between the tree tops. Dead leaves dried to a crisp crinkled underfoot as the haunting cry of the wolf echoed in a distance. Everything was so quiet and so serene in comparison to the noise of the city that she was so used to.

_"This is the perfect place to meditate." _Thought Raven as she kept pace with Artemis. The lightning fast goddess had decided to slow down for Raven's sake, much to Raven's relief.

"We're here." Announced Artemis with sparkling eyes.

"We're where?" Asked Raven lamely.

"The den." Raven's eyes followed Artemis' finger.

_"Wow! How did she spot that?" _Raven was wonderstruck. _"I would never have noticed that hole in the ground." _

"Come on!" Artemis called. "The mother knows me."

"The mother?" Raven repeated as she joined Artemis at the mouth of the den.

"Yes, the mother." Artemis said kindly as a magnificent Husky crawled out of the den followed by the cutest Husky puppies Raven had ever laid her eyes on. "This is Lyka." Artemis said softly. "I brought her here so that she could have her puppies. It's a much more peaceful environment compared to the palace."

"Are you sure?" Raven asked doubtfully. "The palace seems really peaceful."

"Not always." Artemis sighed. "Sometimes the three of us bicker among ourselves."

"Bicker?" Raven repeated.

"Yes. Although we are half-sisters and we've been through a lot together, our differences make conflict inevitable."

"Artemis, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Athena said that some of the gods are real and others are not. If there are other gods in existence, why are the three of you living in a separate palace away from the other gods?" Raven asked curiously.

"Athena and I, we have quite a few vengeful enemies who would stop at nothing to slay us. We're also unattached, pretty much unattainable goddesses, meaning that we get a lot of unwanted attention from the gods. Some time ago, Athena and I got tired of all this, so we went to Zeus and asked for a secret palace that is hidden from all the other gods. He agreed to grant us our request provided we agreed to protect Aphrodite. Naturally, we agreed."

"Protect Aphrodite from?" Raven asked hoping that Artemis would fill in the blank.

"From Poseidon and Ares." Artemis replied simply. "All the gods are attracted to Aphrodite's beauty but those two are by far the boldest. It also doesn't help that she can't really choose between them and between a lot of others. One day, in a fit of pure, unadulterated rage, Ares rashly threatened to kill Aphrodite because if he couldn't have her all to himself, no one else should. A furious Poseidon threatened to do the same. Aphrodite... She couldn't commit to either one of them and neither could she make a decision so in order to preserve their egos, those two are now trying to kill her even though they are both madly in love with her." Artemis shook her head. "Jealousy and pride are powerful things."

_"I hope she doesn't know that I can induce pride." _Raven thought.

"Hey, do you want to hold the puppies?" Asked Artemis as she held out a squirming bundle of fur.

"Sure." Raven said hesitantly. Unlike Starfire, Raven was not one to be given in to cute things but somehow, the delightful puppies tugged at her heartstrings. "They're beautiful." She breathed as she gazed into their clear, soulful eyes.

"There is a reason why I brought you here." Artemis said as she gently placed another wriggling puppy on Raven's lap. "I want to give you one of these puppies."

"Give?" Raven looked up at the smiling goddess.

"Yes. Lyka has just weaned them and they're all in need of love and a master. I'll keep the rest of the puppies and they will be my working dogs but I'll let you choose one to be your very own."

"I've-I've never had a pet before." Raven faltered. "Let alone a dog."

"Now would be a good time to start." Artemis said encouragingly. "There are many things I want to teach you Raven, many things that you will need to know in order to better hone your powers. Having a dog will allow me to teach you a lot of things that I wouldn't be able to teach you as effectively otherwise. Take your time to choose a puppy. We want to make sure that you get the right one."

_"Artemis is really patient and kind." _Raven observed as the goddess gently examined the mother to make sure she was in good health. After several moments, she took her eyes of the goddess and shifted her attention to the puppies. _"How am I going to choose 'the right one'?" _She wondered as she peered into their fearless, inquisitive foxy faces.

"They're all so lovely!" She complained to Artemis as the goddess examined the smallest puppy.

"Look at the puppies carefully and you'll see which one is for you." The goddess said gently. Raven followed her instructions and examined each puppy with a discerning eye. Before long, she realized that one puppy in particular was paying closer attention to her. While her siblings wrestled and played, she sat there looking at Raven with her adoring blue eyes. When Raven picked her up, her little body wriggled with joy.

"I want this one." Raven decided as she set the puppy down on her lap and watched it curl up as though it had done so for the entire duration of its short life.

"She's yours." Artemis said with a smile. "Why did you choose her out of all the puppies?" Artemis' next words caught Raven off guard.

"Because she likes me better than the rest I guess." Raven finally responded. "Her brothers and sisters were busy playing but she was focused on me and-"

"Shhhhh!" Artemis suddenly cut her off. Sensing a shift in the goddess' mood, the puppies dashed to their mother in search of safety. Raven looked around curiously as Lyka shivered uncontrollably. She saw nothing and heard nothing yet Artemis must have sensed something because the goddess had reached for her bow and arrows. "Raven, take Lyka and her puppies and return to the palace." Artemis whispered as she loaded her bow. "Make sure you are not followed and tell Athena to be on guard for a vulture." The laughing, smiling goddess now wore a stern, serious expression on her face that told Raven that this was no laughing matter. Frightened by the sudden change in demeanour, Raven wrapped Lyka and her puppies up with her soul self and made a beeline for the palace.

* * *

"It's been five hours." Raven whispered as the darkness of night enveloped the palace. Lyka rested with her puppies on a pillow on the floor next to Raven while Aphrodite lounged on the bed as Athena paced around the room. After hearing Artemis' message to watch out for a vulture, Athena had suddenly become very agitated, grabbing her spear and shield and locking herself, Raven and Aphrodite in her room.

"What does a vulture stand for anyway?" Asked Aphrodite as she serenely stroked her toy poodle.

"It stands for Hades." Athena replied curtly.

"Hades?" Raven perked up. "Is Artemis going to be okay?" She asked fearfully.

"It's night now." Athena said tersely. "Artemis is also the goddess of the moon. If all goes well up to this point, she will be fine." Athena gripped her spear a little tighter.

"Why don't you go help her?" Raven asked for the umpteenth time. Up until now, Athena had not responded to a single one of her questions.

"I can't." Athena stated bluntly. "I cannot leave you two undefended." Seeing that Athena was not in the mood to talk, Raven wisely remained silent.

"Hey puppy." She whispered as the puppy that Artemis had given to her crawled onto her lap, whimpering softly. "Don't worry little one, I'll make sure nothing happens to you." Murmured the demon queen before looking out of the window and gazing at the beautiful full moon.


End file.
